Why You Need To Collaborate With Others

I’ve learned that the hard way that you can’t do ministry on your own.  Every time I’ve tried it’s lead to frustration.  Working with others is a simple principle we tend to forget. While it’s something we all know we should do it doesn’t always seem practical.  After all, working with others means:

• Sacrificing time to meet with other people when we could get it done quicker on our own.

• Having to listen to other people’s ideas, even if they are bad.

• Changing the focus from what we want to get done to someone else’ agenda.

And those are all legitimate concerns; however, they fall short of the benefits of working with others.  When you collaborate with others you:

GAIN PROGRESS ON THE BACKEND

Working with others does take time.  It involves building relationships and trust.  But, what you lose on the front end of a project you’ll make up on the back end.

People will be focused on a specific task which will give you margin and the energy to get done what you’ve been charged with doing.  The more you work with together the more efficient you’ll become.

OVERCOME ISSUES YOU CANNOT SOLVE ON YOUR OWN

When you do ministry for a long time it’s easy to get stuck in a routine.  Collaborating with others means you get a fresh set of eyes on everything you do.  They’ll point out resources you’ve missed and introduced you to people that could help you get to the next level.

RECEIVE THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO PUSH YOURSELF

There are going to be times when the issues you face seem insurmountable.  By surrounding yourself with a network of like-minded people you’ll get that encouragement to help you move forward.  You’ll have people to tell you it’s going to be okay.

Now if you are trying to build a core team or work on a project it’s important to find the right people.  That means finding people who are:

AWARE OF OTHERS

A true team player is someone that realizes that his or her actions have an impact on others.  They know how to react and interact which will build trust and cohesiveness.

UNDERSTAND THE BIG PICTURE

You want people who are motivated to get the job done even if it means making a sacrifice.  They know not to make it about themselves and are always looking to serve others.

CONFIDENT IN THEIR SKILL SET

You want people who believe they have the skills to do the tasks assigned to them.  They aren’t afraid to take risks and like the idea of sharing what God has given them with others.

MAINTAIN A POSITIVE OUTLOOK DESPITE THE ODDS

Nothing kills progress more than a negative approach.  That means people who can give constructive criticism with loving words.  You want someone who builds people up.

CENTERED IN CHRIST

You want growing disciples who understand that God is in control.  They rely on Him and are there to remind others to do the same.

Collaboration takes a little bit of work and organization; but, the payoff is worth it.  When you can get a group of people together to help you take on a problem your confidence will increase. This not only happens with our volunteers, but with fellow youth workers. Collaboration is not only something that can impact our individual ministries but communities. In addition, collaboration means the sharing of ideas, the sharpening of vision and going through this journey loved.

What else can you gain from collaborating with others?